3,615 articles · 687 videos found · page 59 of 144
Monochrome
Maurice Lacroix was founded in 1975 by the Desco von Schulthess watchmaking company, which produced watches for various labels and third parties before that. In just a couple of short years, the name Maurice Lacroix became so popular that a decision was made to focus solely on the newly founded brand. By 1980, all third-party […]
Worn & Wound
“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear. An Updated Swiss Passport For anyone who has, or plans to travel abroad, you know just how important your passport is. Arguably the most important piece of gear for world travelers, this book allows you to get in, and out of your destination, and more importantly allows you to return home. While each country has their own, unique design and style, Switzerland has just announced their newest look, reimagined by Geneva based design agency RETINAA. While the new look is stunning and eye-catching, it’s packed full of security features like watermarks, UV-reactive illustrations, and many more undisclosed elements. For one of the world’s most powerful passports, it’s only fitting that it has an equally powerful design. The Fujifilm GFX100RF: An Overly Ambitious Compact Camera In 2023, Fujifilm released the X100vi, a new addition to their X100 series of compact cameras. This model became so popular that it’s still on backorder, over two years after its initial release. Not one to settle with this level of success, Fujifilm has announced a new model, the GFX100RF, a slightly bigger but exponentially more powerful “sibling” to the X100vi. This new camera ...
Monochrome
ZRC is a Swiss brand that seems to live on the shadowy periphery of the watch world. Despite being founded over 120 years ago, I can count the times they have come up in casual watch conversations on no hands. That is to say, it never happens. Even when I agreed to take this new […]
Monochrome
Horage, the independent Swiss brand based in Bienne, has achieved quite a lot since in-house movement development began in 2009 – four movements that include the K1 automatic, K2 micro-rotor, K-TOU tourbillon and K-TMR micro-rotor tourbillon. And now a fifth movement is being introduced, the modular, COSC-certified K3 automatic that’s debuting in the new DecaFlux […]
Teddy Baldassarre
As the enduring popularity of pre-worn and “distressed” denim should prove, fashion sometimes embraces wear and tear, or at least the illusion of such, as a bold stylistic statement. The phenomenon can also occasionally be found, albeit perhaps less overtly, in the world of watches. Consider the fascinating case of the Cartier Crash, a watch whose wildly unconventional, “banged-up” shape has made it not just a curiosity but one of the world’s most collectible timepieces - a quirky icon from a watchmaker with no shortage of iconic designs to its credit. The Crash has been around, mostly floating along the periphery of the watch-industry mainstream, since the 1960s, in various iterations, and while it has never achieved the household-name popularity of Cartier watches like the Tank and Santos, it has also never really gone out of style, either. Here is a primer on the Cartier Crash, and perhaps even a little insight on how it has stayed relevant in the marketplace, nearly six decades after its debut. Photo: Bonhams Let’s start at the beginning, with one of the main sources of the Crash’s multigenerational appeal, its decidedly lurid and now-debunked origin story. As legend had it, the Crash’s curvy, bent case design was inspired by a fatal automobile accident: the owner of a Cartier Baignoire Allongé - an oval-cased watch, example above - was wearing it when he perished in a fiery car crash (hence the name) and the watch, once recovered from the wrecka...
Video
Monochrome
As indicated by its name, the UR-101 was – together with its sister piece, the UR-102 – the watch that started it all at Urwerk. The foundation, the watch that defined a style, a display, and that made an impact on almost 30 years of unleashed creativity after. The inaugural UR-101 and 102 featured distinctive […]
Time+Tide
The decision has been made, the dollars have been saved. Time to buy a new watch. Only issue is, where to do it in Melbourne?The post Time+Tide City Watch Buying Guide – Melbourne appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
One of the badly kept secrets in Swiss watchmaking has just come true: Breitling has acquired Gallet. Backed by Swiss private equity firm Partners Group, Breitling has been slowly building itself into a group of brands. The Gallet acquisition comes a little over a year after Breitling took over Universal Genève. According to Breitling chief executive Georges Kern speaking to Fratello Watches, Gallet will be positioned in the sub-CHF3,000 range, topping out at CHF5,000. This puts its squarely in the segment of established brands like Tudor and Longines, which enjoy unparalleled economies of scale, as well as online-only micro brands that lack the overhead of established brands. The rationale of acquiring Gallet is clear. As Mr Kern mentions in his Fratello interview, it gives Breitling a stronger position vis a vis third-party retailers since the brand can now offer products across the price spectrum, with Universal Genève at the very top. This is particularly relevant as many brands owned by luxury groups like Richemont continue to withdraw from third-party retailers. Another factor that is left unsaid in the interview is the enlarged group presumably improves the odds of an exit for Breitling’s private-equity backers. Partners Group bought a majority stake in Breitling at end 2022 from CVC Capital, another private equity firm that bought Breitling in 2017. According to news reports at the time, CVC divested part of its Breitling stake at over five times the 2017 valua...
Fratello
I dare say there isn’t another site on the internet where you can find more in-depth articles about vintage Gallet watches. Following yesterday’s announcement about Breitling’s acquisition of the brand, we will briefly look at the most interesting Gallet watches ever produced. I made an effort and counted; over the last six years, I have […] Visit My Short List Of Gallet Watches You Might Consider Adding To Your Collection to read the full article.
Time+Tide
This Belgian brand's latest watch features dials made from the bonnet of a real 1962 Jaguar E-Type Semi-Lightweight.The post Racing into the past with the Atelier Jalaper AJ-003 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Video
Fratello
It’s now my turn to pick the best vintage watches under €5K. Most of my colleagues have already taken their shot, and while some of their choices could have made my list, I’ve opted for unique selections. Let’s see what you think. Now, before I get into my picks for the best vintage watches under […] Visit Fratello Favorites: The Best Vintage Watches Under €5K - Mike’s Picks From Jaeger-LeCoultre, Seiko, And Gallet to read the full article.
Monochrome
Racing chronographs… It might not be as packed as a category as dive watches, but in all fairness, finding the right one for you is not going to be a walk in the park. Hundreds of alternatives (and good ones, on top of that) exist, ranging from affordable quartz models to attainable Swiss mechanical options, […]
SJX Watches
Less than one year since its debut, Albishorn is back with its third chronograph. The Thundergraph continues the brand’s theme of “imaginary vintage,” this time taking inspiration from mountaineering, specifically the Swiss expeditions to Everest in 1952. With a focus on legibility, the Thundergraph features an unusual “California ghost” dial in petrol blue. Available in a limited run of 99 pieces that will be produced over a period of three years, the Thundergraph features a new iteration of the brand’s proprietary manually wound chronograph movement, developed by founder Sébastien Chaulmontet. Initial thoughts I’ve been following Albishorn since its launch, and have become more impressed with each new release. The Thundergraph is my favourite to-date, retaining the best elements of its stablemates while introducing an appealingly bold take on the California dial. The stainless steel case of the Thundergraph largely mirrors that of the earlier Type 10 and Maxigraph, and retains the appealing asymmetric form and red anodised aluminium chronograph monopusher. The case is actually just 39 mm at the case band, but wears larger due to its 42.7 mm bezel. Where the Thundergraph differs most from its siblings is its dial, which offers a sunburst finish in petroleum blue, which pairs perfectly with the rose gold-plated hands and dial markers. The so-called “California ghost” dial features Roman numerals on the top half of the dial, but rather than Arabic numer...
Hodinkee
A follow-up to the previous regatta timer, the conceptual Swiss brand heads to Mount Everest (and back in time).
SJX Watches
Louis Erard has enjoyed a good run of independent watchmaker collaborations recently, and keeps it up with the Le Régulateur Louis Erard x GoS. Following last year’s Vianney Halter edition, the GoS regulator adopts the Swedish watchmaker’s signature material: artisanal Damascus steel forged by the hand of a Swedish swordsmith. The watch retains the usual Louis Erard case and movement, but has a dial of acid-etched Damascus steel hand made by Conny Persson, the knife maker who produces the exotic alloys employed by GoS, which was founded by watchmaker Patrik Sjögren in 2007. Initial thoughts I respect and admire the craft behind GoS watches, which utilise Damascus steel that is sometimes incredibly patterned. But I find the brand’s aesthetic a little too much, especially when the dials are matched with aggressively styled cases. Whereas in the Louis Erard collaboration the heavy patterning of the dial is offset by the clean lines of the no-frills, 39 mm case. More importantly, the GoS regulator is one of the few Louis Erard editions that incorporates an actual example of the collaborator’s craft, as opposed to just being a design exercise. Even though I liked the earlier Vianney Halter and Kudoke editions, they were just watches designed by the respective watchmaker’s input. The GoS regulator, on the other hand, has a dial in an artisanal material – and it remains at the same affordable price as past collabs. Exotic alloy GoS was founded by bladesmith Johan Gu...
Video
Worn & Wound
When our friends at Artem approached us about shooting their new Loop-less HydroFlex watch straps, we couldn’t resist taking them into the place we call home-Brooklyn, NY. As a bunch of watch enthusiasts, we all know that a great strap can not only completely transform a watch-can make or break one too. Artem has made a name for itself with its sailcloth-style straps. In hand, their HydroFlex material is clearly flexible, yet durable. Artem took this tech to the next level, with their Loop-less bracelet-like deployant clasp. Together these two innovations make for a sleek, go-anywhere, do-anything combo. The ‘anywhere’ portion of that combination definitely includes Brooklyn-these straps felt right at home somewhere between the neighborhoods of Park Slope and Gowanus. There’s a wide array of colors available, we chose Loop-less HydroFlex watch straps that can easily go with anything in your collection, namely: Dark Matter, Lunar Ash, and Solar Flare. The post Lookbook: Urban Exploration with Artem’s Loop-less HydroFlex Straps appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Hodinkee
The successor to the watch that made MB&F; "Madness" affordable is back, with a design from a new friend of the MB&F; family.
Monochrome
Founded almost a decade ago by Rémi Maillat, independent watchmaker Krayon has made a name for itself with its unique style, never-before-seen complications and meticulous craftsmanship. Unveiled in 2017, Everywhere, Rémi Maillat’s inaugural creation, was the first watch capable of displaying sunrise and sunset times everywhere around the globe. Then came Anywhere in 2020. A simpler […]
SJX Watches
The spring auction season is getting underway with the first sale being Phillips’ The Geneva Sessions Spring 2025 taking place online until March 12. The online auction is a warm-up for the Geneva live auction taking place in May, but the 70-lot sale nonetheless includes several interesting timepieces, including some unusual examples from the “neo vintage” era. Essentially watches made in the 1990s to the early 2000s, such watches tend to be good value today; 30 years on they still sell for a fraction of the original retail price. One of the best known watches from the era, perhaps even iconic, is the Vacheron Constantin Mercator. A double retrograde with hands taking the form of a compass, the Mercator was introduced in 1994 and produced for a decade. A little over 600 were made with most of them having etched brass dials; less common were the examples with cloisonné enamel dials. The sale includes a Mercator with a map of Portugal dating to 2004, making it one of the final pieces made. Part of a limited edition of just ten watches, this example includes an achieve extract. The Mercator Portugal is lot 19 with an estimate of CHF25,000-50,000. The enamel dial of the Mercator Portugal One of the quirkiest watches in the sale is the Alain Silberstein Kronomedio Saphir. The French designer was the first to employ sapphire crystal for the watch case way back in 1997. An exceptionally expensive watch at the time, the sapphire chronograph illustrated Mr Silberstein’s av...
SJX Watches
Whimsical and graceful in the typical Hermès style, the Arceau L’Heure de la Lune and Arceau Le Temps Voyageur are both unusual takes on familiar complications; the two were incidentally conceived with the aid of Chronode, a complications specialist. Hermès has reworked the palette for both models, most notably with a two-tone case for the Arceau L’Heure de la Lune. This returns as a set of three watches, each featuring a dial made of a specific type of meteorite, namely Blue Grey Moon, Vesta, and Erg Chech. All three are housed in a 43 mm case with contrast-colour lugs. The Arceau Le Temps Voyageur, on the other hand, is offered separately in two guises: 41 mm in white gold, or 38 mm in rose gold with diamonds. The Arceau L’Heure de la Lune three-piece set Initial thoughts Among Hermès’ whimsical complications, the Arceau L’Heure de la Lune stands out as an unconventional and interesting reinterpretation of the simple date-and-moon-phase watch. Unlike traditional moon-phase displays, this employs mobile counters that orbit the dial over a 59-day cycle to reveal the current lunar phase. It’s a large watch and a little thick, but still elegant thanks to the design. The new variants look more modern than their predecessors thanks to the two-tone cases and meteorite dials that sport subtle colour accents that are typically Hermes. The main downside is the fact that the three are delivered as a set, which not only means the cost is high – the set retails for ...
Video
Monochrome
MeisterSinger, a German brand created by Manfred Brassler in 2001, and located in the city of Münster, Westphalia, has made a name for itself with its unusual display of the time based on a single central hand – a fine needlepoint that enables the wearer to read the time almost to the nearest minute, but […]
Monochrome
Swiss brand Breva Genève was founded in 2010 by Vincent Dupontreué. At one point, the brand garnered quite a bit of attention on the independent watchmaking scene with a series of original but niche complications such as a barometer, an altimeter or even a retractable speedometer! For multiple reasons, the brand unfortunately disappeared for a […]
Teddy Baldassarre
Certina is a watch brand that may be fairly new to you, especially if you live in the United States, where distribution has been limited to non-existent over the past several decades. In actuality, however, Certina is among the oldest Swiss watch brands currently in operation and today represents an appealing and perhaps underrated option in the arena of stylish sports watches that are solidly built yet priced affordably. The Kurth Brothers, Grana, and the Dirty Dozen Certina has its origins in 1888, when two Swiss brothers, Adolf and Alfred Kurth, set up a watchmaking workshop in an annex to their family home in the town of Grenchen (above). Initially, the brothers made movements and parts that they supplied to other watch companies in the region, but by 1906 they were making enough of their own complete timepieces that they introduced a brand name: Grana, which was a shortened version of the Latin word “Granatus,” referring to Grenchen. The early Grana watches found success, but for several years the Kurth brothers continued to also make and supply movements to other companies; the name “Certina” - another Latin-derived word, from “certus,” for “sure” or “certain” - began appearing on the company’s timepieces throughout the 1930s. The name, which was also easier to pronounce than “Grana” in more languages, was registered in 1933 and eventually became the company’s sole name in 1949. Few Grana watches are remembered as milestones today, i...
Monochrome
Pequignet was founded in 1973 by Emile Pequignet in Morteau, a French city in the mountains next to the Swiss border. The brand developed quickly in the 1980s and 1990s, but it has gone through its fair share of ups and downs in its 50 years of history. In the early 2000s, Pequignet initiated the […]
Monochrome
As we’ve seen recently, Orient, a Japanese watchmaker owned by the Seiko Epson Corporation, is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. Created in 1950, it has since made a name for itself in the accessible segment with watches such as the Mako or the Bambino. There’s another important name that was created that same year; a […]
Video
Question, suggestion, or just want to say hi? Drop a note.